


Inked

by KayCeeCruz



Series: 25 Moments [1]
Category: As the World Turns
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-03
Updated: 2011-05-03
Packaged: 2017-10-18 22:55:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/194190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KayCeeCruz/pseuds/KayCeeCruz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Reid thought he knew Chris. Chris keeps proving him wrong.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Inked

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote a story last year for NukeBigBang where I ended up creating this whole universe in which Chris/Reid were complete OTP because this is how it was/is in my head. (It's not necessary to read that to understand this, really.) I ended up falling hard for the pairing and the back story I had created but since that particular story wasn't about them I decided to write a bunch of little stories set in that universe _for_ them. This is dedicated to April and Moey who fanned them from the start. Hope you all enjoy them as well.

It all starts because Reid hasn't learned, even after all these years, to stop saying the first thing that pops into his mind. He realizes he probably should at some point start doing that.

Luke used to tell him, on a regular basis, that it’s part of his charm.

Chris says that's total bullshit. Reid tends to believe him more.

That's why, when he overhears some nurses talking about Chris and the tattoo on his back, he turns and raises an eyebrow at them. “Chris doesn't have a tattoo.”

They stare at him for a long moment, tense and a little bit scared, and he can admit he enjoys that more than he should, when he hears Katie behind him.

“Actually he does.”

He turns to look at her, feels that familiar and unwanted pang of guilt that springs up inside his chest whenever he sees her now. He doesn't respond, there's nothing to say that he hasn't already, but there's something burning in his gut. Katie's smile is sharp, mean, her eyes cold when she crosses her arms.

“What's wrong, Reid? Is there something you don't know about Chris?” She lifts one shoulder, flips her hair quickly (and he really can't believe she actually did that) and smirks.

He's not going to bother. It doesn't matter how many times he tells Katie that he and Chris aren't _anything_ , that he isn't the reason Chris left… not entirely, anyway.

It's childish and none of them are kids anymore. He won't be baited into a debate about how well he knows or _doesn't know_ Chris.

He has patients to take care of.

\--

For some reason, he can't let it go, though.

The idea doesn't exactly appeal to Reid. He's never been a body art type of guy.

But it's one more thing he doesn't know about Chris. Maybe it's because for so long he had thought he did _know_ him. His reasons for walking away. Those weren't apparently correct. If they had been, neither one of them would be in the place they were now.

So, it's that bit of it, the unexpected, that makes Reid pay close attention whenever Chris changes in the locker room. He can see _something_ at the base of Chris' spine that he figures is maybe, possibly a tattoo. He tries to be subtle about it. They had an agreement to keep their distance, at least until everything settled after the big Katie blow-up. It doesn't bother Reid. Much.

Chris walks into the room, pauses when he sees Reid, and there's a pull in his stomach, this fast rush of heat that is too familiar when he meets Chris' gaze. They nod quickly, look away, and Reid is going to just make himself sick if he keeps acting this way.

He can't help it, though, and he looks toward Chris, watches the reveal of his skin as he pulls his shirt off. Reid tamps down on want that spikes through him, makes him half-hard at the sight. His view is clear and there it is. He can't make out exactly what it says, but the dark color spreads across a small section of Chris' lower back.

Chris sighs loudly. “You know, normal people would have just asked me if it was true.”

Reid's gaze flicks up, meeting Chris' slightly exasperated one, and he could pretend he doesn't understand but that's beneath them, so…

“I could have.”

He leaves it wide open for Chris.

“But that would require you being a normal human being?”

There's more than a little amusement in Chris' voice and Reid feels his responding smirk as he looks up. “It was either try to figure it out like this or back you up against a locker for a close and personal inspection. This doesn't break the ‘no touching’ rule we have going.”

He blinks when he's done because that wasn't really what he meant to say, but he's never been good at keeping his thoughts to himself.

Obviously.

Chris glances at him, still shirtless, and studies his face for a long moment. His eyes darken and Reid swallows down the desire that is whirling in his gut, under his skin. He watches Chris step back until he's against the wall of lockers, one eyebrow raised.

Reid isn't the type of guy to ignore that kind of invitation.

Chris turns away when he approaches, allows Reid access to his bare back. He raises a finger, traces the characters with the tip, tries to remember from his classes what they mean. He'd taken Chinese for two years... Reid blinks when he recognizes the word “courage.” Chris shivers under his hands, breathes loudly before freezing completely when Reid asks, “When did you get these?”

He steps closer, feels the heat radiate from Chris and waits.

“It's been a while.”

He runs his finger over the rest of the characters and knows the last one means “regret.” There's a conversation he remembers having with Chris, tangled in the sheets of his twin bed in their room, back when it was new and they weren't calling it anything at all.

There's something rising in his chest that he'd shoved away, had forgotten for years.

He wants to laugh because Chris is a sentimental idiot and he must make a noise to that effect. Chris stiffens under his touch, tries to pull away, but Reid holds tight, hands gripping Chris' shoulders. He leans in closer, mouth at Chris' ear and breathes.

“How long?”

He can sense Chris rolling his eyes in frustration but smiles when he gets an answer. “Don't be stupid. You already know the answer, Reid.”

It's not a declaration or anything ridiculous like that. Not really.

Or maybe it's the only kind of declaration they could ever make to each other.

He nods. “Right.”

Then he's turning Chris around and before he can say anything to stop him, to make him mad, to make him walk away, he catches Chris' mouth, sucks in the surprised moan that escapes, licks his way inside. It feels like years, not weeks since he's kissed him, but this is different than before.

It's still happening because Reid can't help himself. Because he wants Chris more than their first time around.

But now... there's less anger, less guilt, more of things he won't define.

His hands grip on Chris' back, pull him in closer, one leg shoved between Chris'. He smiles at the groan that emits, the feel of Chris hard against his thigh, the way Chris tears his mouth away, head tilting back, and Reid thinks for that moment a very clear _fucking finally_ before he sinks his teeth into the cords of muscle on Chris' neck. He skims fingers back down to the inked skin, wishes he could feel the words against them, and makes a noise he won't admit to when Chris pulls his head away, kisses him hard.

There's too much going on, heat and skin and hands and mouths everywhere. He slows it down, presses his mouth on Chris' jaw, down to lick his throat and feels Chris' laughter against his tongue.

“I – _oh fuck_ – I would not have pegged you as a tattoo fan, Oliver.”

“I'm not,” he mumbles against Chris' skin, noses his way to kiss the place where Chris' shoulder meets his neck. He remembers that being a particularly sensitive spot.

Chris pants, clutches Reid's shoulders and swallows down a moan.

Looks like that's still the case.

“So, it's just me, huh?”

Reid bites back the _It's always been just you, idiot_ that threatens to spill, bites down hard and shoves Chris back hard.

“Chris?”

“Hmm?”

“Shut the hell up.”

The grin that he receives makes his heart ache a little but he ignores that and slants his mouth over Chris, muffling his “Just to be clear, I knew you'd break first.”

Reid will make him pay for that later.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to April for the beta.
> 
> Feedback is loved and appreciated.


End file.
